Favourite wildflowers please...

Hello everyone, I am very interested in learning what the Gardeners Corner gardeners consider to be their favourite wildflowers please? Reason I ask is that I am shortly going to partly re-landscape an established garden, probably around 1.5 acres. I want to thin out some of the large trees and attract lots of wildlife to the garden by introducing many wildflowers amongst other shrubs etc. Generally its going to be semi-shade to full shade so the likes of Blue Bells would be ideal. If its possible though I would like to have continuous flowering through from March to October, or there-abouts. Nevertheless, I would be very grateful if you just gave your thoughts about your own favourite wildflowers, regardless of when it flowers and/or light preferences etc. Pics would be much appreciated but not entirely necessary.
Many thanks indeed!
Kind regards
Roy

 

My favourite wildflowers depend very much on the season - but most flower in the spring.

Primrose - is just a joy in the early spring



Then there's winter aconite



and of course snowdrops



For later in the year there are foxgloves, and loosestrife

 

Another somewhat less common spring one is the wood anemone, red leaves when they start uncurling and fragile white flowers:


Another favourite flowering right through summer is the tiny ivy leaf toadflax:

This is suited to dry stony areas.

 

Hi Ladies, many thanks for your replies!
Beautiful pics!
Fran - I definately agree with your choices just because the snowdrop and aconite appear so early in the new year and its such a joy to have colour back in the garden! I am not a fan of UK winters - dark, coldish, wet. Its a great pleasure to be reminded that spring is just around the corner with the beautiful aconite and snowdrop peaking through the soil!
The wood anenome is beautiful too Liz, and I note that the ivy leaf toadflax (strange name) flowers throughout the whole of summer. Just the job, really.
Kind regards
Roy

 

Very difficult question, Royster. I agree with those listed by Liz and Fran,(by the way - the ivy-leaved toadflax will only grow on old walls)

I grow many wild flowers, but rather than list them I suggest you have a look at this web site - it has photos so you can see what they look like

http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/foundcategory.lasso?category_id=6

 

I like that site, Hornbeam!
I have got ivy leaved toadflax to grow in my garden after much effort- I may regret it, as it's made a nice little clump already
It's on my stone path, which is old stone but new concrete, Grows everywhere round here in cracks in the stone work like Buddleia.

 

Would go with all the suggestions above and if you have a dark, damp corner Lady Ferns look very elegant.

I suppose my favourite wildlife attractor has to be Knapweed. It keeps flowering for a relatively long time and bees, butterflies, moths and all sorts of insects just find it irresistable. It will grow in full sun or dappled shade. Short lived perenial and seeds freely. Can be invasive though.

 

Hi, thanks indeed Hornbeam - really useful website, not only for info but also for the purchasing thereof!
Cheers for your suggestions and pics too Frogesque! Thats a great pic you have of the Knapwort, and yes, this particular garden would benefit from the likes of the Lady fern. Any idea why its called this? Forgive my inquisitiveness - I like to try to understand the "foundations" of plant names and stuff, including the latin. Weird maybe, I know...
Kind regards
Roy

 

Well Roy - that is a good question and wish I had a good answer. Names can be odd indeed, but some like the hart's tongue fern are descriptive. I can't find any logical reason for naming the lady fern. A very common fern is the male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) though it's not sexually male at all. Its a tough guy and the lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina)is much more delicate and lacy and seems just to have beened named feminine as a contrast.

 

Far far too many faves, all of them, LOL! :D

Woody nightshade
cornflowers
orchids
Purple loosestrife
meadowseet
yarrow
vetches
comfrey

 

I like the giants best..Mullein is my favourite ..followed by angelica and the giant hogweed..And the middle size ones i like are loosestrife..marshmallow..great willowherb..and sweet cicely..I also like dandelions and ox eye daisys..All of them really but still i love the giants they add height and interest..

 

Isn't that strange Hornbeam. Even though the male fern is named the male fern its not a male fern. Perhaps this is an instance where trying to remember the Latin name is valuable. I really like the name Anthyrium filix-femina. Got a right ring to it...
Jay - thanks for your favourites! Sure do like the thought of orchids being part of the wild flower collection and I have to admit I never even tought of the orchid as being correct in the situation, but it really is!
Wildflower - many thanks too. Funny, I always thought of Giant Hogweed as being a right nasty critter after, as a child, a friend of mine was covered in massive blisters after playing in amongst the hogweed. Perhaps its time to consider this plant in a new light. Love the Mullein though!
Many thanks again to you all!
Kind regards
Roy

 

I have just recieved suffolk herbs seed catalogue for 2007 you can obtain lots of the seed for the flowers that are mentioned in this posting..as they have a good collection of wildflower/herb seeds..

 

Thanks WildFlower!
I'll check out their website and try to order a catalogue from there.
All the best!
Roy

 

Too many favourates - most of which have already been mentioned. My love of wild flowers was first aroused by red & white campion see here playing about in the woods when I was about 6 years old and had to look it up in a book I also love Snakes Head Fritillary - alas now quite rare in it's natural habitat.

A good site with pictures but have never bought anything from them so can't comment. British Wild Flowers

Good luck with your project